6 great questions along the way

I will paraphrase some very good questions that readers and others have asked.

Since we are using face masks now, do I need to disinfect it when I come home with Lysol or other disinfectant?

In order to conserve and be able to reuse masks at the local hospitals, they put them in a brown paper bag. They are able to reuse them for up to a week without having to change to a new mask. This is a well-established practice at some of the best clinical centers in the US.

Interestingly a small study from China looked at masks, face shields, and shoes of providers from 70 interactions with COVID-19 patients. They found no virus on the masks, face shields and shoes from any of those interactions after the doctor, nurse, or cleaning staff left the room. They did not look at gloves or gowns as those were discarded in the room and did not leave the area.

So put you mask in a brown paper bag, roll it up like a lunch bag, and reuse it for up to a week. You could use Lysol, but I don’t know if it would destroy some of the weaving in the mask. Even Littleton Hospital is not disinfecting their masks with anything but a brown paper bag. I suspect the bag provides a dry and water absorbing environment to disinfect by drying.

One of my associates is using a UV sterilizer for CPAP tubing and masks to sterilize their office masks.

What about gloves?

Cotton or even leather gloves are preferred to latex or rubber gloves. Some small lab studies have shown that the latex or rubber gloves allow the virus-laden droplets to hang around on the surface longer that cotton or other water-absorbent material.

Presumably the water-absorbing material disperses the water droplets better and allows the virus to die when exposed to the air.

Can you also put them in a brown paper bag and reuse them? I don’t know of anyone doing that since the hospitals use disposable rubber gloves, but it makes sense to me.

What about taking ibuprofen or any other NSAIDs?

There is really no evidence that ibuprofen and other NSAIDs place people at higher risk for getting the infection or for developing the severe lung problems with COVID-19.

We do know that if people are taking ibuprofen or other NSAIDs AND become dehydrated with ANY illness, kidney injury can be greatly intensified. As to NSAIDs causing or placing one at risk for increased lung injury, there is no evidence for that in this viral illness or others observed in the past. Time will have to tell us whether the NSAIDs affect people differently with this virus compared to others.

So the safe thing to do is stop your NSAID if you start to get sick and switch to acetaminophen/Tylenol for aches, pains, and fevers.

If I start to get symptoms, should I quarantine myself at home?

Yes BUT you must assume everyone in your home has had significant exposure and all must remain quarantined for the two weeks, including visitors who have had anything other than the most cursory of contact, like standing outside the front door to deliver a package or just say hi.

IF you test positive, then you and those in your home must remain quarantined for 2 weeks AFTER your last infectious symptom resolves. Healthy individuals can go to the store with mask, glove, and physical distancing practices, but must remain home if there are any symptoms.

What about the young people who are less likely to get the illness? Do they need to practice physical distancing and stay at home practices?

I was young once and, despite what I would like to think now, quite stupid and not invincible. I say this as a disclaimer to not be a pot calling a kettle black.

But the short answer to the question is a RESOUNDING YES.

Multiple anecdotal stories share what appears to be a not uncommon disregard for the current recommendations among teens and young adults. They may not get as ill or as frequently ill as older adults, but there is plenty of data showing that they sure can spread the virus as well as any older individual. We have seen several cases where the primary case in a home was from a teen or young adult who lived in or visited the home.

So implore your young adult friends and family to be careful and play along with the rest of us.

What about exercise?

Definitely continue to exercise, but don’t go to the gym. Hopefully all gyms should be closed by now, but being in an environment where everyone is breathing heavily and touching everything is not prudent.

A controlled study in a lab found that the radius of water droplet spread from a heavily breathing athlete was 10 feet and not 6 feet. However this was in a controlled space that did not mimic the outdoors. Still it adds reason to avoid the gym or workout rooms for now.

If you are running behind or down-wind from a heavily exercising person, I would suggest at least a 50 foot distance just to be safe. If it’s even a mild wind, stop and wait 5 minutes before resuming your run. Or really just run somewhere else.

Dr. Gipson